


Seeking Aurora

by confused_patata (dreaming_asleep), yunhovitamingi



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: @ATEEZgraphs, @ATINY_community, ATEEZ (Band) Are Pirates, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Captain Kim Hongjoong, Gen, Jongho is a cartographer, POV Alternating, San wants an adventure, Seeking Aurora, but good pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27745159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaming_asleep/pseuds/confused_patata, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yunhovitamingi/pseuds/yunhovitamingi
Summary: A mysterious figure gives Jongho the map to find Aurora. He will need to gather the pieces of eight, as only with all of them can Aurora be found.Will you join him?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Log 1 - The map

**Author's Note:**

> A Twitter ATEEZ Pirate AU being shared on @ATINY_community as part of the Seeking Aurora project created to save the views of ATEEZ's Aurora MV. Each chapter/log is updated as entries on Twitter and once a log is finished it will be uploaded here! 
> 
> This is our first fic, we hope you enjoy it :D
> 
> If you want to check it out over on Twitter, you can follow this link to the start of the thread: https://twitter.com/ATINY_community/status/1312045934914699264?s=20

“DON’T YOU DARE COME BACK WITH YOUR HELLISH IDEAS!” the man shouts as he throws several maps out the door, only inches past Jongho’s head. 

Jongho had worked for months on end on these maps, carefully drawing the lands and seas he had seen on his journeys with the Royal Navy. He had worked extra hard on them, making the cartouche look stylish and professional, as he was so proud of his work and wanted it to look as good as possible. Was? Still is! His hands form fists as he turns around abruptly…

“Those lands are real, whether you believe it or not!", Jongho exclaims.

Shocked that he dares to speak back at a superior, the man stares at him in disbelief, anger bubbling up; as Jongho starts gathering his maps with resolve.

“HOW DARE Y-” the Official starts.

“I'll find someone that believes me," Jongho interrupts with certainty. “And I will journey to those lands. I will do it. Who knows maybe I’ll find incredible treasures and live happily while you dust away in this stuffy office.” he deadpans and slams the door to the office, leaving the clearly indignant Officer behind.

Jongho rushes to pick up all his maps from the floor, hearing the Officer curse and ramble behind his door, and runs outside the building to save himself from further trouble. He feels triumphant as he steps out of the building into the road. He is undeniably proud to finally have given that mind a piece of his mind. However, his joy doesn't last long. The smirk on his face disappears as he realizes the situation he’s in. Jobless, and with no prospects of finding work easily after being expelled from the Navy; which he most surely is after the events that just took place. Carefully shielding the maps from the rain that had been falling all morning he starts walking down the street, deep in thought. He wants to sail to those lands, no matter what people say. He’s sure of their existence and needs to prove it, but how will he get there? 

Jongho looks up at the sky. It’s a cloudy and gloomy morning in Joseon. The street has started to get busy; carts, animals and people all filling the narrow spaces that are left after all the shops set their stands to sell their wares. He carefully maneuvers through the crowd, taking care to avoid crashing into people and damaging the maps hidden under his overcoat. 

Concentrated, he doesn’t notice the mysterious figure approaching him. Not until they grab him by the arm, forcing him to stop. Jongho turns around, surprised. The figure holds out a case, but Jongho doesn't move. He can’t take his eyes off their face, beholding the mesmerizing being before him. Blue, green and violet all appear to be dancing in their eyes. 

He cannot make himself look away. 

The figure, getting impatient, waves a hand in front of his face and shoves the case against Jongho's chest. He blinks and shakes his head to wake himself up from the trance, looking down at the case. Confused, he grabs it and looks back at the figure as they start to speak.

“Use this to find the pieces of eight and seek Aurora."

Before Jongho can fully comprehend the words that have been spoken to him, the figure turns around and walks away

“W-wait!” Jongho shouts hesitantly, looking down at the case he is now holding. 

When he looks up again, the figure is nowhere to be seen. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he wonders where they went. Did that really just happen? He looks down at his hands again, holding the definite proof it did. As a cartographer, Jongho has seen this kind of case a million times. Cases like this one are used to keep maps protected while on the road. Any cartographer with minimal experience would recognize one. In contrast to the mysterious, surreal-looking person delivering it, the case looks very ordinary. Trying to do his best to protect its contents from the rain, Jongho opens the case, curiosity picked. A brief look into it he confirms his thoughts. There's a map inside.

He begins to take it out carefully, thankful the rain is no more than a faint drizzle now. Suddenly, someone bumps into him, and the fishing gear they are carrying hits someone else's head. This immediately causes chaos to unfold, as the two men immediately start fighting. Jongho looks up at the scene, oblivious to his part in it. Realizing this is probably not the best place to look at a delicate map, he quickly puts it back in the case and hurries home. As he walks he can't help getting more and more curious with every passing second.

Panting by the time he reaches his lodging, Jongho enters, taking off his shoes before rushing to his room. He completely ignores the owner of the jumak shouting at him to pay his overdue rent. He has more pressing matters to attend to right now. After closing the door to his room behind him, he sets his overcoat and maps carefully by the corner. Wasting no time, he sits down on the floor and clears his table to make room. He briefly observes the simple case again, before opening the lid and taking out the rolled up map. With care, Jongho rolls it out and places weights on its corners to be able to properly study it. He leans forward, hovering over it and judges it like any cartographer would do.

“What sort of map is this?", he muses out loud.

The map is simple, too simple even. The longer he looks at it, the more confusing it gets . A crooked equator, no meridian, longitudes or latitudes, a legend or ANY useful information it seems. 

"A kid could have drawn this!", he mutters annoyed. 

There’s a really odd cartouche on the lower right corner, and several random symbols decorate the map. Paying attention to the cartouche, he notices the words in it. "Seeking Aurora..." he murmurs. "That person mentioned that!  _ Find the pieces of eight and seek Aurora. _ " he says, imitating the ominous tone the mysterious person had used. A shiver runs along his spine. Something big is about to happen, he can feel it. This map will change the course of his life. 

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts and goes back to studying the map. He picks up one of his own world maps that are neatly piled up next to the table and compares them. “East-Asia,” he mumbles pointing at the land mass. His finger runs along the map as he recites: “ South-Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe, America...”

An island. On the lower left of the map. 

Jongho can’t believe his eyes. His heart leaps as he rushes to get the maps that were discarded by his superior earlier that morning. 

“IT’S THERE!” he shouts, overjoyed, as soon as he recognizes the island he had mapped before. 

He looks between his maps and the bizarre gift he had been given. It's roughly the same location. His island has been mapped by someone else besides him! His interest in the weird map suddenly grows exponentially and he prepares himself to study every millimeter of parchment. His eyes sparkle as he sits in front of his desk again and carefully holds up the map. He studies the symbols he noticed before and recognizes some of them as common sailing objects: map, ship, compass, spyglass and binoculars. The magnifying glass and lantern throw him off a bit, but somehow they make sense too. He can't fail but notice the skull drawing next to the lantern, and he shudders remembering the fear of pirates he experienced during past voyages. Lastly, there is a constellation on the top right he doesn't recognize, and... a butterfly? Jongho can’t make sense of that one, no matter how hard he tries. He sighs, many questions spinning around his mind. He can't make sense of the map, how could he use it for sailing if he doesn't understand it? He sighs in frustration and stands up to roam around the room. After some time he sits back down, with a clear goal in mind.

"I need to make sense of this map." he proclaims.

🗤

“How do I use this?"

Jongho has been quietly repeating the same question over and over again, while screening every inch of the map. It is so unique... and so weird. He has to admit it's giving him a hard time. “How…” his eyes go over the skull, “...do I…”, shifting to the compass,”...use…”, landing on the spot where Joseon should be, “...this?”

He sighs and looks at the notes he’s made so far: 

_ \- Map = Joseon? I received it here, is it connected?  _

_ \- 8 drawings of objects -> pieces-of-eight??? _

"Maybe... the drawings are the locations of the pieces of eight?” Jongho ponders outloud, dubious. 

He isn't sure about anything, and he is starting to question this whole thing. Maybe it's just a prank? But somehow he feels it's not. He feels this is important. However, he still doesn’t know how to use the damn map! Angrily, Jongho sweeps the map off his desk and props his elbows on it, holding his head in his hands.

After a while, when his frustration has somewhat dissipated, he looks up to find out where he discarded the map. He sighs in relief when he locates it, unharmed, leaning against the door. The faint sunlight coming through the window shines on the map, making it glow warmly. Jongho looks at it, hopeless. He suddenly perks up and narrow his eyes, looking intently at the map. 

He furrows his eyebrows… are those scribbles he is seeing? 

But that’s impossible. He has studied the map thoroughly, how come he didn’t see those before? He hurriedly stands up to take a better look, crawling to the door and picking it up.

There's nothing. 

But how? He could’ve sworn he saw words above the drawing of the map! He lays the map back to where it was and... there they are! Jongho’s heart leaps from excitement. 

“Finally! A clue!” he exclaims.

He has no explanation on how it works, but somehow it seems the light of the sun reveals the words. Maybe some kind of special ink? What's another mystery at this point, he thinks. Realizing the sun will set soon, Jongho rushes to get his notebook and writes the words down.

_ “The light of every color in front of my eyes _

_ The obscure boundary between lines _

_ A word to describe these things _

_ I couldn't find it, so I repeat and repeat the same words”  _

Jongho stares at the words he just wrote down, incredulous.

“Did- did the map just shade me for repeating my question over and over again?” he scoffs.

This is a laughable situation. A map making fun of a cartographer! Jongho won’t have it, he WILL find out how to decipher it. With renewed certainty, he goes back to the table and takes out his tools. Bowing over the map again, he tries to find some logic in it. Anything that makes some sense. 

“Boundary between lines..." He repeats the words he found earlier and concludes, “Lines are what is missing in this map!" 

Jongho reaches for his protractor and starts aligning it with the only line on the map: the crooked equator.

“What if it’s crooked on purpose?” he mumbles while working with the tool

He notices that Joseon perfectly lines up with the equator and how it normally wouldn’t. After working on it for a bit, the protractor reveals the answer and Jongho grins.

“Bingo.”

The fact that Joseon is located along the equator in the map, and the fact that that's where he is right now, made him think it had to be relevant. On most maps, the equator and longitudes are at an exact 90 degree angle from each other. That's what made Jongho think of drawing a "longitude" through Joseon, by checking the 90 degree angle on the protractor. By doing this, he finds that a straight line intersects perfectly with the drawing of the magnifying glass. Proud of himself for this discovery, Jongho makes a cross over the drawing and smiles, content.

“It seems like this map wants me to go to New Holland!”, he exclaims.

He jumps up immediately and starts packing his things. There isn’t much keeping him here now, anyways. Within minutes, Jongho has gathered his meager possessions. He needs to rush. It'd be difficult to catch a ship after the sun has set completely. 

The owner of the jumak immediately approaches him when he exits his room.

“What’s with the bag? I sure hope you don’t plan on leaving without paying rent!”, the woman says, hands on her hips.

Jongho can’t blame her for being distrustful after having ignored her so many times. He hands her a pouch with money.

“That should be enough! Thank you for the pleasant stay.", he says politely while bowing.

Not wanting to waste any more sunlight, he hurries towards the harbor. Luckily, the Navy requires their sailors to live close to port, so Jongho gets there quickly. Having frequented the harbor, Jongho knows his way around it and immediately enters the harbormaster’s office. If there’s anyone in the harbor that knows which ship is setting off to New Holland tonight, it’s them. And Jongho is right. After only a few minutes, he leaves the office with a pier number and the name of the ship and captain. 

His excitement keeps growing as he approaches the ship he has been pointed to. He’s going on an adventure! It’s impulsive, maybe even irresponsible, but who cares? This is an opportunity to prove the existence of the island he mapped and Jongho will grab it with both hands! He boards the ship and quickly locates the captain, walking over to discuss his journey. The man is hesitant to make him a passenger aboard the cargo-ship at first, but a few coins do the job.

Not even an hour later, Jongho sets sail to New Holland. A whole new adventure ahead of him. 

He is looking forward to it: a new life and a new passion.   



	2. Log 2 - The magnifying glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Twitter ATEEZ Pirate AU being shared on @ATINY_community as part of the Seeking Aurora project created to save the views of ATEEZ's Aurora MV. Each chapter/log is updated as entries on Twitter and once a log is finished it will be uploaded here!
> 
> This is our first fic, we hope you enjoy it :D
> 
> If you want to check it out over on Twitter, you can follow this link to the start of the thread: https://twitter.com/ATINY_community/status/1312045934914699264?s=20

How long has he been here already? 

Maybe around a month, but it could have been longer than that. He hadn’t really kept track of the days since he arrived.

Walking over to the window of his ramshackle hut, San looks out. His position on a hill offers him a good view of the harbor and the few houses around it.

Well, maybe houses is too big of a word; shacks would be more accurate. 

This is a really small settlement, after all. Its use as a trading post means only a few people live here permanently, most leaving when their business is done.

It’s the perfect place to stay if you don't want to be found, the ideal hideout for a runaway.

His family would never look for him here. 

"As if they’re still looking for me.” San scoffs. < align="justify">Maybe they were, at first, but he’s sure they gave up quickly. Apart from his father and grandfather, none of them will miss him anyway. They’re the only ones who always supported him. Him, the “black sheep” of the family. A disgrace according to most of the people that conformed the high society of Joseon. 

“Aristocrats" he grimaces, with obvious disgust. 

It was not his fault he preferred a simpler life. One that ignored the proper "rules of protocol", their stupid beliefs and customs. 

Back then, San liked to roam around the city dressed as a commoner, to be able to enjoy that life. To enjoy freedom. 

He always found a way out, escaping countless fancy dinners and private tutors to go fishing with friends or to play Jegichagi. Although his grandfather and father understood him, the rest of the family didn’t.

Especially not his uncle.

After San’s father left to check the family’s estates and to take care of business abroad, his uncle took over and made one bad decision after another. Before his grandfather could realize what his son was doing, his uncle had managed to arrange a marriage between his nephew and a royal princess.

Not even his grandfather could turn that around. 

The memory is painful and it makes him nauseous, so he exits the hut and breathes in the fresh ocean air. < align="justify">After clearing his head a bit, San starts walking towards the harbor, tears drying on the corner of his eyes.

It was a difficult decision to run away, but he didn’t want to become his uncle’s puppet. To join the royal family would mean even more rules, more restrictions. He had packed his bag in the middle of the night and left.

His uncle would be asking around and searching for a guy alone, so he thought it would be safer to travel with company. That's why he met with a friend and together they managed to arrange travel on the ship that sailed to this remote place. Finally fulfilling their wish to run away. 

And that's where they had stayed since.

San likes this place. He likes to spend his days in the harbor's tavern, reading while overhearing sailors' stories, keeping an ear out in case he hears about a possible search-party for a certain aristocrat. So far, his uncle doesn’t seem very throughout, so he feels at ease.

The familiar bell rings as he opens the door to the tavern, distracting San from his thoughts. He greets the owner and walks directly towards his usual spot, a well-lit corner that offers a view of the room, only to find someone has taken his seat.

San pauses and raises an eyebrow.

This is the first time since he arrived he finds his usual spot being taken. There aren’t many customers after all, and most prefer to sit closer to the bar.

But then again, this guy doesn’t seem to be like the folks who usually frequent this tavern. Something in him intrigues San. 

He sort of looks... out of place?

Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t look like a sailor. Maybe it's that he seems to be working on something, bent over the table and scribbling notes. Fully concentrated on his task. "Not really an activity you see people doing around here", San thinks to himself.

He is intrigued, he has to admit, so he decides to go sit next to him. Bowed over the table, the guy doesn’t even notice him. Up close, San sees he is working on an oddly looking map. And he seems to be stressed.

San sits there quietly for a few minutes, observing how the guy uses all his tools to read the map and how his frustration grows with every failure. He was right, this person is definitely intriguing. 

With a faint smile on his handsome face, San turns his head and makes eye contact with the innkeeper. Having been a regular for over a month, that’s enough for the man to start preparing his usual hot beverage. 

Quietly, as to not disturb the struggling guy, San takes a book from his bag and opens it. Not that he’s really reading, though, his seat-stealer being much more interesting. 

After some time during which San discreetly studies the stranger, the innkeeper brings over his drink. Not a man of much tact if we are being honest, he sets San’s drink as if it’s made of lead, but somehow manages to not spill even a single drop. 

The noise startles the intriguing guy and he looks up in confusion.

“I didn’t order a tea”, he says.

“No, but I did.” San explains with a smile on his face, reaching for the cup.

The guy finally notices San and immediately creates distance between them, looking wary. San raises a single eyebrow at that; it seems the man is jumpy.

“Who are you?” the guy asks suspiciously.

For a moment, San considers giving a fake name to protect himself, but he highly doubts this guy has connections with his uncle. Instead, he decides to leave out his last name when answering.

“San, it’s nice to meet you.” he replies kindly, “And what’s your name?”

The guy starts gathering his tools and putting the map back in its case.

“Choi Jongho." he greets curtly.

San tenses at the last name, but then smiles. It’s a really common last name in Joseon after all.

The guy stares at him, but after a moment he shakes his head and makes a move to leave. 

“Wait” San exclaims.

He doesn’t want him to go, he is properly intrigued now. He points at the case the guy is holding protectively.

“I saw you struggle with that, need any help?” he inquires.

Jongho halts his actions to look him in the eye, estimating San’s abilities and considering his options. Ultimately, he shakes his head.

“No thanks," he says, "I doubt you can help.”

“I beg to differ!” San retorts warmly with a smile, leaning forward on the table. “Everyone looks at things differently. Maybe I’ll see something you didn’t see before!”

Jongho looks at him skeptically, but stays put. San awaits expectantly, hoping the other will sit and allow him to see the weird map. Instead, he’s asked a question.

“Is there a shop in this town where I can buy tools?”

Taken off guard by the change of subject, San blinks a few times. 

“Uhh, n-no there isn’t. Sorry.” he replies apologetically.

Jongho sighs, looking disappointed and resigned.

“This is a very small settlement, so there are barely any goods available.” San tries to explain. "What are you looking for exactly?”

He watches as Jongho sinks back into his chair.

The silence stretches between them. San sips from his tea, looking at the other inquisitively, waiting for him to answer.

Jongho looks out the window as he explains. 

“I was gifted a map by someone who told me to find all pieces-of-eight. I think I’ve figured out what those pieces are and which one I should look for here, but I can’t find it anywhere! I have no leads whatsoever!” he exclaims, frustration clear in his voice, standing up again as if to leave for real this time. 

“Wait!”, San calls out. 

He grabs Jongho's arm as if they’ve been friends for years.

“Sit back down, please.” he says, pulling him down so Jongho has no choice but to do so, too shocked to argue.

“Tell me what you need to find and I’ll help you look for it.” San says simply.

Jongho looks at him with questioning eyes, clearly still doubting San's ability to help him.

“A magnifying glass.” Jongho states.

“Oh, that’s it?” San asks, perplexed.

Jongho simply nods his head, looking at him quizzically.

“Ah, no problem then!” San exclaims animatedly, reaching for something in his bag. 

He quickly finds what he’s looking for and triumphantly puts it on the table. 

When he sees what the object is, Jongho’s mouth falls open.

“YOU HAVE ONE?” he exclaims. “Do you just carry a magnifying glass with you everywhere you go for some reason!?” 

“Oy! This is important to me!” San retorts. “It was my grandfather’s. I used to help my grandfather with his-”

San stops talking when he realizes the other man isn’t listening to a word he says, busy as he is taking the map out of its case. Once it’s out, Jongho extends it and puts several tools on its corners to keep it flat.

“Look!” he exclaims, pointing a finger somewhere in the map.

San looks at him, trying to process his quirky behaviour. After a moment, he bows over the map and focuses on what Jongho is pointing at, a badly drawn outline of New Holland.

“Oh!” he exclaims, as his brain processes the magnifying glass drawn roughly at the location they are in now

He looks up at Jongho and asks sceptically, “So someone gave this to you and told you to find a magnifying glass?”

“Not really, they just told me to find the pieces-of-eight.” Jongho states.

San stares at Jongho, as if waiting for him to continue explaining, but the other man says nothing more. 

_Of course the pieces-of-eight… as if that’s helpful at all!_ San thinks to himself, but says nothing, looking back at the map again.

Screening all drawings on the map, he indeed finds 8 objects. Maybe Jongho did need to find a magnifying glass here? Weird as it may be, he's glad to have something interesting happen in this boring town. He offers Jongho a wide smile. 

Adventure at last.

“You may use it, but you can’t have it.” San states, picking up the magnifying glass his grandfather gave him from where he had set it on the table. He holds it out and offers it to Jongho, "Here you go."

Jongho nods, taking the magnifying glass from him and bending over the map to start looking for something that wasn’t visible before. San can’t really do much to help, so he sits backs and waits.

Suddenly, he feels something brush against his leg and looks down. He smiles when he finds the innkeeper's cat, Byeol, rubbing against his shin. San bends down to grab her and sets her on his lap. The animal snuggles close to him and starts purring contentedly. 

San smiles to himself, petting the happy feline. Shortly after his arrival, he noticed that despite living in the tavern no one really took care of Byeol, so he decided to do the job and feed her regularly. She really took to him and now he cannot imagine parting with the animal.

San keeps patting the animal while drinking his tea and occasionally sparing a look at Jongho, who is scanning every inch of the map. As he takes the last sip of his tea, Jongho falls back on his chair, with an air of defeat.

"I give up." he mutters.

San looks at him with sympathy. “You can’t find anything?” he asks.

Jongho shakes his head and gives him back the magnifying glass. “No, maybe this wasn’t the clue after all... I- I don't know anymore.”

San hums in response, turning the tool between his fingers. 

“Hmm... But it’s clearly a magnifying glass there on the map. Can I try to have a look?” he asks, looking at Jongho expectantly.

Jongho, dispirited, slides the map towards him. “Go ahead.”

Curious to see the map up close, after only looking at it at an angle, San bows over the map. He has seen several maps in his father’s study, but this one really is different. The paper is old and discolored, but San likes the drawings on it. The style is carefree.

He uses the magnifying glass to see all the details of the drawings he finds so interesting. Concentrated, he doesn’t notice his lips forming a faint smile or the piercing look Jongho is giving him.

After looking at all of them, San moves to the last one: the magnifying glass over New Holland. It’s a simple, but realistic looking drawing. He hums as he thinks about what he should be looking for.

“Do you know what we need to find here?” he asks, as he looks up at Jongho.

“Not exactly,” Jongho answers sincerely. "I found words written on the map when I was in Joseon.” he continues. “Right here.” he says pointing at a blank area of the map. “The words only appear when the map is lit up by the sun.”

Jongho stops and looks at San again.

"I thought that maybe the magnifying glass would reveal new ones, but... it doesn’t.” he admits with defeat.

“Hmm... That sounds logical. Somehow.” San quietly says, deep in thought. “I’ll keep looking then. Maybe around the drawings?” he questions.

Not even a minute later, San shouts “Here! I found something! Look!” 

Smiling widely, he gestures Jongho to take a look.

“What do you mean?” Jongho asks, confused, looking through the glass. "There's nothing there."

“What do you mean? They’re right there!” San insists, pointing at the map.

He starts reciting the words written there:

_“But we don’t care_

_'Cause I'm not alone now_

_You who share the view are here now_

_There aren’t many comparisons at all”_

__

“I don’t understand!” Jongho exclaims, grabbing the magnifying glass and checking for himself. “I don’t see any words! What are you talking about!?”

Frowning, San leans in and looks through the lens again. “They are there. I swear.” he says.

A silence falls between them, both feeling slightly uneasy with the situation. Suddenly, San gets an idea. “Wait! Where did you say you saw words?” San asks, reaching for the map and taking it to the window, in order to find some direct sunlight.

Jongho walks over and joins him by the window. "They’re right there.” he answers, pointing with his finger and reading the words out loud. San quietly listens, looking between the map and Jongho. He is silent for a moment, before speaking.

“Hmm... I don’t see those words either.” San declares.

Astonished, the two young men look at each other as they realize how this map seems to work. 

“So... only a specific person can read certain words?” Jongho questions as he takes his seat again, looking bewildered. 

San follows and sits down in front of him.

"That certainly seems to be the case" San answers.

“Is that what they meant about finding the pieces-of-eight?" Jonho wonders, "Does this mean you are one of them? Instead of the actual objects? It has to!!" he exclaims looking at San with sparkles in his brown eyes.

San smiles, seeing Jongho getting more and more enthusiastic by the second, a complete contrast to how he found him earlier.

"Maybe” he concedes, “What do we do now then?" San asks.

“We need to keep looking! Find the other pieces of eight! I guess we’ll have to look for people who can read words on the map like we do! I imagine them, like you, will have the object represented on the map?” Jongho replies animatedly. “I guess that's the only way we can get all the clues and figure out where to go. That’s how we can reach Aurora!" Jongho exlaims triumphantly. 

San stares at him in confusion as he takes the magnifying glass from Jongho, who has the biggest smile on his face. 

“Aurora?” San asks puzzled, “I saw the name on the cartouche, but what does it refer to?”

Jongho lets out a breath and smiles tightly.

"Huh, I actually... don't know." he admits sheepishly.

San looks at him as if he had just grown a second head, inclining his head to one side an expression of disbelief painted on his face.

Jongho shifts his weight from foot to foot.

“Ahh, I told you about the person giving it to me, right?” Jongho says. 

After San nods, he continues “Well, the complete sentence they said was: _Use this to find the pieces of eight and seek Aurora._ ” Jongho says, shifting to a lighter voice as he repeats the words that were spoken to him.

“Do you know where it is at least? This 'Aurora'?” San asks curiously.

“I’m not sure,” Jongho answers, as he slides the map towards him, “but I think it may be this island.” 

San looks at where Jongho is pointing. A small island underneath North America, next to which a weird drawing is printed on the parchment.

He does not remember seeing this island on other world maps he has come across, but honestly? After seeing all the weird stuff going on with this map in particular, he doesn't question it.

“Okay, I think I understand!” San says enthusiastically. “So now we need to find the next piece, right? The next person?”

“Yes, I think so too! Probably the words you see can lead us to them. Can you read them again?”Jongho asks San impatiently.

San picks up his magnifying glass again and reads the words out loud. After a short silence, San starts to speak “I think the first sentence talks about how we’re carefree, going on this uncertain journey.” Jongho hums in agreement and San continues.

"The second one maybe talks about how there’s now two of us? And the other two might describe the next person I guess, but I can’t think of anyone right now.” San finishes, deep in thought.

“Maybe someone that thinks the same way as you do? Someone that shares a point of view about the world that not many others understand.” Jongho comments. 

San looks up at him and starts to think of his past. 

There was rarely someone who understood his carefree ways, his desires and dreams. Not even his father and grandfather, even though they supported his choices in life.

He can only think of two other people he has crossed paths with during his life that truly understood him.

Memories from a few years ago fill his mind. Back then, he and his two friends would never stop fantasizing about leaving their respective lives. Setting off, seeking adventures. Together they could take on the world! 

That's what they thought.

But then Seonghwa had left unexpectedly, leaving them behind. He never said where he went, leaving only a cryptic letter saying that he needed to leave and found someone that could take him away. He didn't say who it was or which was his destination. 

He only said sorry.

He never understood why Seonghwa left them behind without a decent explanation or a proper goodbye. Was their friendship not that important to him? 

The memory of that time still hurts, so he shakes his head to clear his thoughts and snaps out of it, answering Jongho's question.

“In my whole life, I’ve only met two people that shared the same view of life I did. One of them came here with me, the other one...” San looks down at his hands and continues in a small voice, “...unexpectedly sailed towards an adventure and I haven't seen him since.”

Jongho, realizing it's a sensitive subject, measures his words before speaking. 

“I think the next piece-of-eight isn’t on this island, since there aren’t more drawings shown on the map." he says carefully. "So the one that came with you cannot be the person we need to find next."

San nods his head in understanding.

"I'm sorry, but could you maybe tell me more about the friend that left?" Jongho continues, unsure. 

A sigh escapes San’s mouth and he begins to explain. 

"I met him first, Seonghwa, at a boring aristocrat party. The kind of parties I used to sneak away from. I just wasn't interested, but I needed to go to please my family. As per usual, I was standing at the side dying of boredom, just eating whatever was offered to me. Seonghwa suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a tray of shrimp salad. He came up to me and said _'May I suggest you eat the shrimp? Last year they gave me a mild stomach ache and I was excused to go home. I feel you may be interested.'_ ” San chuckles softly, remembering that night. “Realizing what he was suggesting, I didn't think twice and took a small bowl of salad. After that we spent the rest of the night trying to get sick in a corner of the ballroom." San finishes, with a slight grin on his face from recalling happy memories. 

"Did you get a stomachache?" asks Jongho curiously.

"Surprisingly, no! We ate so many, I surely thought we would be able to escape the party. Good that we didn't, though… We became great friends during that night." replies San, a mixture of emotions on his expression.

"After some time we met the guy that came here with me. Our friendship made our lives bearable. You could say we saved each other in a way." finishes San, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"But then… he left?" Jongho softly asks.

San clenches his jaw before replying. 

"Yeah…" he confirms, "we don't know where he went. He was suddenly just.. gone."

The memory clearly pains San, so Jongho doesn't press the matter.

"He did leave a letter behind, but it doesn't explain much." San admits after a moment.

Jongho lifts his eyebrows at that. "Do you have it with you? May I see it?" he asks.

San nods as he reaches for his bag. "I do. Why do you want to see it though?"

After going through his bag, he finds the letter and hands it to Jongho.

"I have no idea. But if I learned something from this is that anything can be a clue!" Jongho answers as he opens the letter and starts reading it.

As soon as he opens the letter, Jongho notices it was written a while ago. The paper is discolored and it looks like someone crumpled it and then tried to flatten it again. 

Like San said, the words are cryptic.

You cannot guess a logical reason for his decision to leave so suddenly. There also no details about a destination or how long he intends to be gone. The only thing that could be considered a clue is the mention of a ship and... the likelihood of danger?

But why would San's dear friend leave if it would be dangerous? Jongho has no idea. But maybe the ship... He furrows his eyebrows in uncertainty. He looks up and finds San looking at him expectantly.

"And? Is there a clue?" San asks.

"Hmm.. it almost seems too easy, but maybe it's the ship?" Jongho says, unsure.

San looks at the map and finds the drawing of the ship. "You mean the ship on the map? You think that's where Seonghwa is?" San exclaims, getting excited at the prospect.

Jongho, seeing big, sparkling eyes looking up at him, quickly answers.

"Don't get your hopes up! I have no idea! But I can't think of anything else. Maybe it's just a clue to go to the ship, but I'm not sure who we’ll find there"

“Okay, but we’re going there, right? To where the ship is drawn on the map?” San asks, not getting discouraged.

“Well I guess we could… Wait. We?” he asks looking at San surprised. “You mean you want to come with me?”

“Well, you may need me! You have to look for the pieces-of-eight, right? You probably need to gather them all _and_ bring them with you to be able to find Aurora.” San states. “So to the ship?”

Jonho looks at San incredulous, surprised he would want to join him.

“Uh… Yeah I- I guess. That’s the only place I could think the map would want us to-” 

“OK THEN! Let’s go!” San interrupts, standing up abruptly and walking out.

Jongho rushes to put the map back in its case and goes after San.

“Wait for me! Where are you going!?” he calls after the other man. 

As soon as he joins San outside, he sees him standing still, deep in thought.

“What is it?” Jongho asks, confused at the sudden change of mood.

“I- I gotta go get my bags.” San says.

“Oh right… Wait, you want to leave now?” Jongho asks, trying to follow San’s thought process.

“Yeah, why not? Any reason you wanna stay here for?” San questions.

“I guess not” Jongho replies.

“Great, I’ll go get my bags!” San exclaims quickly before running off.

“Ok! I’ll wait for you at the docks!” Jongho shouts after him as San disappears in the distance, running as if his life depends on it. “Well that's weird..." he mumbles as he heads towards the harbor.

He can find a ship that sails towards the location the ship is drawn on the map while he waits for San to return.

He has been waiting for roughly an hour when San comes running back. While he catches his breath, Jongho looks at the small backpack he’s carrying. “That’s all?” he asks.

San looks up and follows Jongho’s gaze towards his possessions. He shrugs. 

“Yeah, I didn’t bring much when I came here.” he says with some difficulty, due to his laboured breathing.

Jongho quirks an eyebrow at that. “But then why did it take you so long?” he inquires. < align="justify">San looks down at his shoes, seemingly uncomfortable. 

“I, ehm...”

Jongho is a bit confused by this, but it doesn’t look like San wants to tell him and, not wanting to make a big deal out of it, Jongho decides to let it slide.

“Anyway, I found a ship that sails out tonight. We have about 3 hours left.” Jongho states, changing the subject.

San looks up, looking somewhat relieved Jongho didn't press the issue.

“Oh- okay... Then maybe we can eat something before we embark? Which ship is it?” San asks.

“The one named Vlinder.” Jongho says pointing at a cargo ship near the end of the dock.

San looks towards the ship's location and nods. He then turns his head to look at something behind him. Jongho glances behind San's back but doesn't see anything unusual.

Finding his behaviour rather suspicious, Jongho continues, watching San’s reaction attentively.

”I think it’s best to buy some food to take with us and embark as soon as possible. The captain might leave early if everything is ready.”

San does not really look like he is paying a lot of attention to what Jongho is saying. He answers, still with his back towards Jongho.

“Sure, you do that and I’ll…” he turns around to face Jongho again,“...go to the toilet.” he quickly answers.

Before Jongho can make objections, San sprints away in the direction he just came from. Jongho sighs, finding the other’s behaviour quite bizarre. He decides to ignore it yet again, and walks towards the harbor’s tavern. 

After gathering enough provisions to last the journey, Jongho goes back to the harbor. 

When he reaches the Vlinder, he finds San waiting for him near the gangplank with a big smile on his face. Jongho lifts an eyebrow at that. It sure is an interesting reaction after a mere trip to the toilet. 

“Did everything you needed to do?” he asks as he approaches him.

“Yes!" San exclaims, "Shall we embark?” he questions with enthusiasm. 

Jongho eyes San for a moment, but decides to ignore the weird way he’s been acting ever since they left the tavern. He shakes his head and hands him the bag with the provisions.

“Let’s go.”


	3. Log 3 - The ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Twitter ATEEZ Pirate AU being shared on @ATINY_community as part of the Seeking Aurora project created to save the views of ATEEZ's Aurora MV. Each chapter/log is updated as entries on Twitter and once a log is finished it will be uploaded here!
> 
> This is our first fic, we hope you enjoy it :D
> 
> If you want to check it out over on Twitter, you can follow this link to the start of the thread: https://twitter.com/ATINY_community/status/1312045934914699264?s=20

"I told you already!" San exclaims as he walks the plank from the ship to the dock, frustration clear on his tone. "I ate those biscuits and salted meat when you were asleep." He turns around to face Jongho, a convincing expression on his face.

Jongho isn't having it though.

"You ate a whole package of meat and 10 biscuits by yourself? Right after we had dinner?" he inquires, piercing stare on San.

"Yes," San sighs, clearly tired of explaining himself. "Now can you please let it go?" he asks with resolve.

Jongho narrows his eyes, but he decides to drop it, having gotten used to his new companion's bizarre actions by now. "Fine, whatever you say" Jongho declares walking past him, "we don't have much time before the sun sets, we should get going." 

San exhales in relief behind Jongho's back and follows him, more than glad to change the topic of the conversation. "What do you want to do before the sun sets?" he asks as soon as he catches up with Jongho. 

"Well, I was hoping we could find the next," he raises his hands and uses his fingers to make quotation marks, "piece of eight." Jongho answers.

"That quick? Did you find a clue?" San asks curiously.

"I studied the letter you got from Seonghwa-"

"You did?" San interrupts as he stops walking "Wait, when?" he asks as he looks up to the other, his face a mask of confusion.

Jongho halts and turns around to face San. He finds the other's eyes and says after a pause "Mainly at night, when you thought I was asleep and left the cabin for a few hours."

San opens his mouth, as if about to speak, only to close it again a few seconds later. Speechless.

"I don't think you care to explain, so let me continue..." Jongho states, as he turns around again and picks up his pace. "In the letter, Seonghwa wrote about the ship and then crossed it out. It seems he wanted to say something about its sails for whatever reason."

San rushes to follow him, but frowns after listening the other's statement and reaches for the letter in his bag. While still keeping up with Jongho's fast pace, he reads the letter. 

"Its sails…" he mumbles under his breath as he finds the words.

Focused on the letter, he doesn't notice Jongho has stopped walking and bumps into him. The unexpected collision causes Jongho to turn around startled, making San fully lose his balance. San flails his arms, frantically trying to grab onto something to stop himself from falling off the dock. Not finding any grip, his brain starts preparing him for a cold dive, and he closes his eyes instinctively. 

Suddenly, someone grabs his arm and pulls him back to safety. Before he can gain his bearings again, he hears an unfamiliar cocky laugh, followed by "That was close! Good thing you had your friend here, staring with an open mouth as you fell down in slow motion. Really helpful!!"

The voice chuckles once more and San has to admit the laugh is quite characteristic and rather... appealing? But the sarcasm is a bit out there if he's being honest. San turns to see Jongho frozen on the spot, embarrassment clear on his expression. A stranger is standing next to him, a smug smile on his lips. Finally able to focus on him, San notices he looks quite peculiar. He has a rather cheerful, but at the same time mischievous appearance. And his looks are definitely not commonplace. His dark blonde hair is longer at the back of his head, the shorter parts revealing a tattoo of a compass on his neck. San tenses slightly. From his knowledge, a tattoo is definitely not something a lawful man would have and what is more, show proudly. San also notices the stranger has an hourglass attached to his belt, that playfully reflects the sunlight on its metal frame. It puzzles San why anyone would carry an hourglass with them in this century, when clocks are readily available. But then again, the stranger looks quirky.

Still unsure about how to proceed, San slightly bows to the man. "Uh.. thanks!" he mutters sheepishly. 

"You're welcome," replies the man, while bowing extravagantly, "Sir" he adds as he stands up again, the smug grin never once leaving his face.

San doesn't know how to respond and just gapes, too bewildered to think properly. However, this does not seem to bother the stranger, who is now looking at San intently, as if deep in thought. "Are you...?" he starts, but halts suddenly. Shaking his head he adds, "ah never mind."

"Anyways, glad to be of service" he finishes, a smug grin appearing once again. The stranger then winks at San and turns around to walk further down the dock. 

It takes San and Jongho a few moments to react, both of them just watching as the man walks away, mouths open.

Jongho is the first to speak. “What did just happen?” he says, bewildered. 

San shrugs. "...That was weird." he ultimately comments, still staring at the man in the distance.

They turn to look at each other, not fully knowing how to proceed. The encounter left both feeling somewhat unsettled.

“Good thing the letter didn’t get wet.” Jongho says, pointing at the letter in San’s hand.

“Ah right!” San exclaims, looking at the letter and reading over Seonghwa’s words again. “ _‘Its sails’_ is crossed out... Could that be a hint? What could be special about sails though?” he ponders.

"No idea if I'm being honest." Jongho replies.

For the first time since they docked, San looks around properly. They are at a big port with many docks and even more ships. It’ll be difficult to find a specific person here. Although he can recognize Seonghwa from miles away, he doubts his friend is the piece of eight they’re looking for if he's being honest with himself. While those thoughts run through his mind, his eyes scan over the ships in the haven. None of the sails look special.

Disappointed, he turns towards Jongho. “I don’t see any sails that stand out.” he says, disappointed.

“Me neither.” Jongho replies, still looking at the sails.

San sighs and sits down on a mooring post. “Where do we even start looking? I mean, we can go around and ask all captains if their sails are special.” He sarcastically suggests.

“Ha, ha, very funny. Now really, Seonghwa most likely went on a ship with special sails. " Jongho responds. "We just gotta look from a different point of view.” he says as he grabs San’s arm and leads him to the start of the harbor.

He looks around him for a moment and sees an old wall from a demolished building. Jongho points at it, “Maybe if you sit on top of that, you'll have a better view of all the sails.” 

San looks at the wall, nods sharply, walks up to it and immediately starts climbing. Jongho doesn’t wait for him to reach the top and starts walking towards the town.

“You watch the sails some more while I get us something to eat!” he shouts after him. "because someone ate all our provisions" he adds under his breath.

San reaches the top and looks at the view in front of him. It’s magnificent to see the sun setting behind all the ships in the harbor. Jongho was right, you can really see everything from up here. He scans the ships in an attempt to find a special set of sails. However, most sails are neatly hoisted and tied up when docked. You can see the different colors and some of them show a small piece of what San guesses may be crests, but he isn't sure. A frustrated groan escapes his mouth.

“How am I supposed to find anything like this? “What can be so special about sails!?” he mutters.

Nevertheless, he keeps studying every sail in the harbor, hoping for the best. The only thing stopping him is the disappearing sunlight, as the sun sinks behind the horizon it becomes hard to see anything clearly.

Suddenly, something catches his attention. He squeezes his eyes trying to make sense of what he sees in the distance. “Is that…” San starts astonished, but is brutally brought back to reality by a loaf of bread landing on his lap. He holds on to the ledge to avoid falling over.

He mutters a profanity under his breath and looks down to see Jongho mischievously smiling up at him. He throws him another loaf, which San catches with ease this time. Jongho climbs up the wall and takes a seat next to him, taking one of the loaves from San.

"Any luck?" Jongho asks as he gets settled and takes the first bite from his dinner. He almost chokes on it when he acknowledges the scene in front of him, and falls into a coughing fit.

San grins.

“Yeah... I think we found it.”

Food forgotten, they stare at the magical view, dumbstruck.

“Do- Do they really... glow?” Jongho asks. to no one in particular, wonder in his voice.

San still cannot believe his eyes, his gaze fixed on a ship located at the end of the dock they came from earlier. Its sails really do seem to be giving off a distinct pearl-like glow in the distance, resembling the reflection of moonlight on a river. The sails seem to glow only brighter by the minute, as the sun disappears below the horizon. Jongho and San remain motionless for some time, simply watching the harbor in silence.

After some time, the sunlight disappears completely, engulfing the world in darkness. The thin crescent moon decorating the sky does not much to illuminate the night, and the glowing sails stand out like a beacon, clearly evident despite their delicate glow.

“Have you ever seen something like that?” San asks Jongho, his eyes still fixed on the ship.

“No,” Jongho answers quietly, as if a loud sound may disrupt the magic, “For one, it's impossible. What kind of fabric is that? Besides, it doesn't make sense to have glowing sails on a ship San." he adds, confounded. Jongho frowns, as he thinks of how visible a ship with sails like that would be on the open sea. "Enemy ships would easily locate it at night. It would be dangerous to have such flashy sails if anything."

San hums in understanding, lightly nodding with his head.

Suddenly, he perks up and turns to look at Jongho. "Wait, do you think Seonghwa went on that ship?" he asks, worry clear in his voice. "He would have been in danger every night since then!"

Before Jongho can give an answer, San jumps off the wall and strides towards the dock. Jongho follows close behind, still in awe of the sight. The ship gets bigger as they approach it, and he wonders how no one is paying attention to its rather magical sails. Everyone they pass seems unaffected, paying no mind to the glowing sails that are right in front of them. 

Contrary to Jongho's wonder, only one thing occupies San's mind right now: finding Seonghwa. Eyes set on the ship, he ignores everything and everyone around him. San reaches the gang plank first and stands still for a moment, before setting foot on it and boarding the ship. The wood creaks underneath him, but he decides to ignore it, alongside Jongho’s whisper-shouted objections. He couldn't care less about boarding a ship without consent. He needs to find out if Seonghwa is here, rather sooner than later.

Jongho, realizing San won't listen to him, rushes to follow, cursing under his breath. They could be apprehended for this, or worse, killed! 

Ahead of him, San cautiously enters the illuminated deck and listens attentively for any signs of life, body on a semi-crouch. He doesn’t see or hear anything, the ship seemingly deserted, so he stands up straight and walks further in, more confidently. He takes his time to take in the ship; studying the incredible sails, its railings and forecastle. The ship is medium-sized but of notable quality. Somehow a mix between a frigate and a panokseon? An unusual but elegant combination San must admit. He is about to continue his inspection of the ship, when something catches his eye. His head shoots back to the quarterdeck. There! A figure is standing in the door opening to the Captain's cabin, their features overshadowed.

The person slowly steps forward, coming into the light cast by the glowing sails. San tenses. The man that saved him from a dip in the ocean earlier stands there, calmly looking at them with a curious spark in his eyes. San is frozen on the spot, aware of the boundaries he crossed when he boarded the ship without permission. Jongho discovers the man a second later and muffles a gasp of surprise. In contrast to the cheerful person they met before, this man looks intimidating. Dangerous even.

The man cocks his eyebrow at their reaction, seemingly put off by it.

“I- We’re so sorry!” Jongho quickly says as he bows. He hurries forward to grab San’s arm and exclaims, “We’ll leave right now!” He’s about to pull San towards the plank, when the man speaks.

“Stay.”

Jongho halts his actions, frozen. There's something in the man's voice that makes them listen to it. They watch, not moving an inch, as the man walks towards them, footsteps echoing in the quiet night. The closer the man gets, the tighter Jongho holds onto San's arm, making him squeal under his breath. San manages to escape his grip by the time the man stops and stands a meter away, taking his time to observe the two intruders. He studies them, folding his arms in front of him.

“Why did you come here?" he asks in a low tone.

"We sa-" Jongho starts.

"Are you the only person on this ship?" San interrupts, curtly.

The man raises his eyebrows, not used to having people talk to him like that. “Yes” he says calmly, slightly amused by the boldness.

San isn’t satisfied by that answer and, forgetting his initial fear, starts looking around again. The man looks at him and huffs, annoyed.

“I’m the captain of this ship. If anyone else was on board, I'd know. I knew you guys were here the moment you stepped foot on deck." he comments, eyes piercing San’s back, almost daring him to take another step.

"Sure thing, as if I'd believe that a captain doesn't have a crew." San scoffs.

The man looks hurt for a brief second, before his previous annoyance turns into anger.

Jongho looks at both of them nervously and walks up to San, pulling his arm once more. “Let’s just go, he’s not here!” he quietly exclaims.

San harshly pulls his arm loose. “NO!" he shouts. Tears welling up in his eyes as he continues, "He's here! He said so in his letter!”

Jongho is taken aback by the outburst and looks at him, worried. San breathes heavily, distraught and lets his head drop, defeated. “I have to find him, Jongho…” he quietly murmurs.

"I know" Jongho replies, walking up to him and laying a hand on San's shoulder, comfortingly.

The man watches the scene in silence, anger dissipating as he sees the desperation of the other. There’s something familiar about this San. He thought so this afternoon as well, but he brushed it off as a rare coincidence. However, now the feeling is back, stronger.

While the man is contemplating, Jongho is trying his best to calm down San. “...wasn’t very clear in his letter, maybe he meant other sails?”

Hearing that, the man focuses his stare on them. “Sails?” he blurts.

Jongho and San look at him, surprised, but don't say anything.

The man looks apologetic and clears his throat. "You said you came here because of the sails?” he asks again, taking a step forward, eager for an answer.

“Y-yes,” San answers hesitantly and points to the glowing sails, “they’re pretty noticeable.”

“I honestly don’t understand why nobody else seems interested in them. Like, they are literally glowing?” Jongho adds and looks at the man, expecting an explanation.

The man looks at the both of them, disconcerted for a second. However, he suddenly changes his entire demeanor. He perks up and smiles widely, clearly satisfied by what he just heard.

“Well, they look like common sails to most people. I've only met two other people that saw the glow besides me." he explains. "Until today that is."

San and Jongho look at each other, this kind of reasoning familiar to them at this point. What's more, this sort of thing matched well with their previous experience with the map. Why not a bit more of weirdly magical stuff?

In his enthusiasm, the man rambles on, "I already wondered why you could see me standing there! Anyone else wouldn't have been able to see me in the darkness without the light of the sails." he says enthusiastically.

He walks away in the direction of the captain's quarters, beckoning Jongho and San to follow him. They hesitantly look at each other. San shrugs and follows, Jongho close behind him, both confused by the sudden change of mood.

The man holds the door open for them to enter. San goes in first and looks around. The room isn't spacious, but large enough for a man alone. Somewhat cozy. The glowing sails shine through the windows, showing the beautiful wood-crafted interior. There's no need for candles, San thinks, but it would be pitch dark for all those who don't see the glow. Apart from a small bed in the corner, there's a table with three chairs. Scattered on the table are maps, cartography and calligraphy tools, chalices, guns and other stuff. It seems like the man was busy with something before they interrupted his work. Jongho and San awkwardly stand in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do or why the man wanted them to enter his cabin.

"Ah," the man realizes the mess and hurriedly puts some stuff away. "My quartermaster always told me to clean up after myself." he sheepishly explains, a bittersweet tone to his voice. Before San can ask about it, the man gestures at the chairs, "please, have a seat."

They sit down and Jongho sees an hourglass close to him on the table. He recognizes it as the one that was attached to the man's belt this afternoon. Maybe he takes it with him everywhere he goes? Strange, Jongho thinks to himself. An hourglass is not something one carries around like that? Something about it must be special…

The man interrupts his thoughts by moving the hourglass towards himself, looking wary for Jongho's interest in the object. After clearing his throat, the man introduces himself.

"My name is Captain Kim Hongjoong and welcome aboard the 지평선." he says cordially.

Jongho bows slightly and introduces them both. "I'm Choi Jongho and he's Choi San. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Choi? From the Choi family of Namhae, perhaps? Advisors to the King?" the captain asks curiously.

Jongho shakes his head quickly. "No, no. I'm not related to them. My father was a farmer." he explains.

Besides him, San keeps quiet, head down. Jongho looks at him through the corner of his eye but doesn't say anything. Hongjoong raises an eyebrow at that and looks at San, expectantly. After a moment of silence, he grins. Sometimes not receiving an answer says more than enough.

"As I thought. I believed I recognized an aristocrat this afternoon." he says looking at San with a cocky smile.

San shifts, uncomfortable. The silence drags on and finally San meets eyes with the man, tension clear on his shoulders. Just as San is about to reply, Hongjoong's mouth drops in shock, making him stop.

"No way…" he mutters.

Jongho and San look at each other, not sure how to react. Hongjoong stands up abruptly, startling the both of them, and walks towards a cabinet located in a corner. He pauses for a second, before taking a deep breath and opening one of the top drawers. Contrary to his other possessions the cabinet seems to be well-organized, as it only takes him a moment to find what he's looking for. He brings out what seems to be a piece of old parchment, unfolds it and stares at it for a second.

Jongho and San watch the scene in silence.

A moment later, Hongjoong turns to look at them, piercing his stare on San. He looks back at the parchment, then back at San. He sets his jaw, and swallows. Slowly, he walks back to the table and drops into his chair, visibly shaken. After a pause, Hongjoong breathes in and puts the parchment on the table, handling it with utmost care. Both San and Jongho look at what seems to be a sketch of two men.

Suddenly, San gasps and covers his mouth with both hands.

Hongjoong looks at him, desolate.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is you." he says quietly, as he slides the parchment towards San.

Memories flood back into San's mind, overwhelming emotions spiraling in his head, the moment he realizes what the drawing is. Tears blurring his vision.

"S-seonghwa…" he chokes out, voice barely audible, thick with emotions.

Hongjoong looks at him with empathy. He knows how much San and Seonghwa mean to each other from the many stories he's heard over the years.

Jongho, although reluctant to disturb the emotional scene, can't help but ask. "Why do you have that drawing? Was Seonghwa here?"

Hongjoong turns to look at him and Jongho sees the sadness in the captain's eyes. After a moment during which something akin to guilt passes through his face, Hongjoong nods. He looks back at San and waits until the other gets over the initial shock before he starts explaining.

"Seonghwa saw the glowing sails a few years ago, like you guys did today." Hongjoong says, a fond smile tugging at his lips at the memory; but not quite getting there due to the sadness in his voice. "He... He made me who I am today. I… I was a hardened man back then, not the best company really. But Seonghwa wasn't afraid. He was so curious about the sails and kept asking me questions. About the sails, of course, but also about life at sea, being a privateer and… me." he continues, looking down at his hands. After a pause he carries on, "We talked for the whole night, about so many different things. After all, we sort of came to the conclusion that I'm more than just a privateer and he was more than just an aristocrat." Hongjoong affirms with conviction. “Seonghwa told me he wanted to come with me, that he needed to escape his life back then.” At that the captain looks at San and sees the hurt in his eyes, before the man turns his head sharply. Hongjoong presses his lips and drops his head once more. "Our personalities matched so well that I didn't even have to think much about it. He learned quickly and became a great quartermaster in no time." he continues softly. "He also became a true friend. I don't regret my decision at all." Hongjoong finishes softly, but firmly. 

When Hongjoong looks up once more, he finds San still turned away, his shoulders shaking almost imperceptibly. It pains him seeing the man like this, after the countless nights he witnessed Seonghwa missing his friends and questioning his choices.

"Leaving you behind was a difficult choice for him, San. One of the hardest decisions of his life, he'd always say" Hongjoong says softly. "He told me so much about you, he really missed you a lot. It was a complicated situ-" Hongjoong starts.

"Clearly not for him! He left after all! He just disappeared one day, with no explanations on why or where he was going!" San bursts suddenly, standing up from his seat, unable to stay put any longer.

Hongjoong doesn't say anything immediately, simply watching the other quietly.

"He didn't say where he went to keep you safe, San. He knew you'd follow him." he says after a while, when the other has calmed down a bit.

"And he was right, of course I'd have! He's like my brother, I'd go anywhere with him!" San exclaims, still agitated.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't.” Hongjoong puts simply.

San turns to him, not understanding where the other man is coming from. Confusion and sadness mixing in his features.

Hongjoong maintains his gaze and presses his lips tightly. “I'm glad you didn't." he repeats after a moment. "You could've ended up like him."

Time stops right then.

San goes still, dread slowly creeping into his features. Jongho doesn't dare to so much as breathe, looking between San and the captain. Hongjoong doesn't move either and holds San's piercing stare, his jaw set.

"What?" San murmurs in shock.

All of a sudden, San bursts forward, props both hands on the table and leans towards Hongjoong.

"What do you mean 'ended up like him'?" he asks, tone low, dangerous.

Hongjoong doesn't respond immediately.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?" San exclaims, when he receives no answer, desperation making him forget protocol and self-preservation.

Jongho looks worriedly between the two of them, concerned about Hongjoong's reaction to the outburst. But he doesn't stop San, he deserves an answer. Hongjoong is maintaining eye contact with San, but still not replying. Jongho notices San is tensing up by the second and decides to intervene before things take a turn for the worse.

“Why isn’t he here anymore?" he asks. After a pause he adds, "And where is your crew?”

Hongjoong keeps his eyes on San for a moment before closing them and breathing in deeply. He drops his head, defeated. Where should he start explaining? Should he begin saying it was his fault? That he will never forgive himself for this? He understands their anger completely.

“It was all my fault.” he says quietly but clearly, the regret clear in his voice.

San steps back, as if struck by a blow. He sits again, face white with horror, unable to speak. When Hongjoong looks up again and sees his pale face, something breaks in the captain’s heart. He props his elbows on the table and covers his face with his hands. 

“I shouldn’t have listened to him!” he utters under his breath, guilt coming back in full force. He exhales exasperated and runs his hands through his hair nervously, looking up to the two men again. “I told him I was feeling good enough to stand my post, but he insisted on taking over my duties for another day so I could rest." Hongjoong starts, his mind traveling back to that day. "I knew those were dangerous waters, but he kept insisting all would be good." He clenches his fists on top of the table. "What was I thinking?” he scoffs, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes once more. 

After a moment, he opens his palms and lowers his hands, trying to calm himself down. San and Jongho deserve a proper explanation. He breathes deeply and begins his story. 

“We were on Pirate Round. Those waters are notoriously known for the high density of pirates that navigate them." he says, voice grave. "I had been bedridden for days by then and Seonghwa, as my quartermaster, had taken over my role. We sailed unmarked, but at this point the 지평선 is well-known I guess. We were recognized, and they knew we’d have many valuables on board, making us heavy. It was easy for them to catch up with us and board the ship. Before I realized what was going on, it was already over." Regret, sadness and anger all mix in Hongjoong's fatures. "They killed most of my crew, but for some reason took Seonghwa alive. Probably though he was the captain." Hongjoong continues, clenching his jaw at the last sentence. "I don't know, I thought maybe they recognized him and wanted to ask his family for ransom, but as far as I know they have not received notice so far. And it's been weeks." he adds, defeated. 

On the other side of the table, San is looking at Hongjoong with infinite sadness in his eyes, but not an ounce of accusation. After a moment of silence, he closes his eyes. "Is there any chance he's alive?" San asks gravely, not opening his eyes.

Hongjoong looks up at him.

"He is." the captain states resolutely, without a trace of doubt in his voice. "I don't know why, but I just know he is."

San opens his eyes to look at him, and holds his gaze. After a moment, he nods.

"Actually I- " Hongjoong starts, but stops. He reaches for the hourglass and looks at it with an unreadable expression. "I was given this a few weeks back. A man dressed all in black approached me at a tavern and placed it on my table." he explains. "He said, 'You still got time, they'll come.' and left. I don't know why, but I think he was referring to Seonghwa. It’s stupid but I want to think that I still have time to find him." he confesses quietly. "The man was bizarre. I didn't see his face as he was wearing a mask and a fedora covered his head, but something was off about him. This hourglass... It doesn't make sense. No matter what, the sand keeps moving down." he says as he places the hourglass horizontally at the table.

San and Jongho stare at it and can't help but lean forward when they observe that, in fact, the sand keeps moving despite it being impossible by all laws of physics. For a while, the three of them stay silent, staring at the impossible occurring right before their eyes. 

Jongho is trying to make sense of what his life has turned into, when a thought comes to his mind.

“You said you’ve met two people that can see the sails before us, right? Who was the other one besides Seonghwa?” he asks.

The other two look at him with puzzled expressions, confused by the change of topic.

Hongjoong frowns slightly at the randomness of the question, but replies nonetheless. “A former crew member of mine. Why?”

Jongho doesn't reply. "How come he left?" he asks curiously.

"He quit his role as the navigator to pursue a career as astronomer." Hongjoong answers simply. "Why are you suddenly asking about him?"

Jongho looks at him and hums, then looks at San.

"I'm not sure about this but..." he starts, "the two of us found your ship thanks to a map” he explains, gesturing between himself and San. "This map is supposed to guide us somewhere, but only after we find certain 'pieces of eight'."

Hongjoong raises his eyebrows at that, looking confused, not really understanding Jongho's point.

Jongho notices and clears his throat. “We both saw the sails, you did too. What if..." He makes eye-contact with San, who is looking at him with all his attention. "If you are in fact another of the pieces of eight we are looking for... What if all the pieces of eight can see the sails?" he asks dubious, looking meaningfully at San.

A silence falls between them until San gasps, realizing what Jongho is aiming at.

“You think the map will also lead to Seonghwa!?” he exclaims hopefully, perking up.

Jongho nods. "I'm not sure of course! But, maybe?" he says.

Hongjoong just looks at them, observing quietly as he cannot follow their flow of thought. He just gets more and more confused by the minute. However, he is somewhat hopeful, if San's face is anything to go by. 

He's glowing with hope.

Despite this, Hongjoong is skeptical. A map that might lead to Seonghwa? What kind of map would that be? He considers the possibilities as San and Jongho keep talking about pieces-of-eight and disappearing clues. Such a map seems unlikely, if he thinks rationally about it. But he has already tried everything he could think of in hopes of finding his quartermaster and friend. Maybe a little unlikeliness is exactly what he needs...

"Can I see that map?" he asks suddenly.

His two visitors stop talking, interrupting their rambling, and both their heads turn to look at him. After a pause, San reaches hastily for Jongho's bag.

"Of course!" he exclaims hurriedly, "You'll need to find our next destina-"

"Be careful!" Jongho exclaims, cutting him off, while protectively moving his bag out of San's reach. "It's delicate!!"

"I was being careful!" he protests.

"As if." Jongho mumbles, while carefully opening his bag and taking out a case.

"I was!" San insists, pouting.

Jongho ignores his sulking and wordlessly hands the case to the captain. Hongjoong, who looks even more confused than he was before, but also sort of amused, takes it. He carefully opens it and takes out the map store inside.

"You gotta explain it all clearly from the beginning, otherwise I won't understand anything." Hongjoong instructs as he extends the map on the table in front of him. Once it's fully opened he takes one look at the map and adds "...least of all this bizarre map."

Jongho softly chuckles and starts explaining.

· · ·

The late evening has given way to the night by the time San and Jongho finish telling Hongjoong everything that has happened in the past weeks. A long, intriguing story about mysterious figures and magical occurrences. If it weren't because he had been personally involved in a series of magical happenings himself, the captain would probably cross them off as delusional. Besides, Hongjoong would probably give anything a shot at this point if there was even a minimal chance of finding Seonghwa. After going over it a couple of times, Hongjoong knows all the ins and outs of the map in front of him. A few things catch his attention, like the constellation drawn in the top right corner. It seems awfully familiar, he's certain he has seen it before somewhere, but where?

Suddenly, his mind clicks and he exclaims in realization.

"This constellation in the corner," he says, pointing at it as he speaks, "I believe my former navigator used to draw it everywhere. I'm not sure what it is, though, astronomy isn't my strongest skill." he admits.

Jongho nods, understanding, he's sailed with captains before that rely mostly on navigators. It's a common misconception that captains do all the work themselves, while most of them find skilled navigators, quartermasters and others to lighten their burden. Teamwork is key.

After going over the map once more, Hongjoong continues. "As you predicted, I can see words written on the map right here." he states, pointing at the ocean under the drawing of the ship. Knowing San and Jongho most likely can't see them, he reads the words out loud.

_"Every time I saw the sunset,_

_I was afraid of the night._

_But I'm not afraid anymore_

_Because you're in the darkness"_

The captain's voice echoes in the small space. The men stay silent as they try to decipher the provided clue. Only the faint crashing of waves on wood is heard.

Hongjoong is the first to speak.

"You said the map probably leads to people who can see the sails, right?" he asks.

Jongho nods and sees Hongjoong tilt his head slightly and gaze up to the side, seemingly deep in thought. He observes him quietly, knowing that Hongjoong is probably one thought away from the answer they are looking for: the likely location of the next piece-of-eight.

After a few minutes, the captain speaks hesitantly. "Seonghwa is the only person I ever told this to, but…" He looks down at his fidgeting fingers, "...I used to be afraid of the dark." he admits.

He quickly looks up, looking defiant, as if daring them to mock him. San and Jongho don't say anything, although there's the ghost of a teasing smile hiding in San's lips.

After a moment, Hongjoong continues, after shooting San a pointed look.

"Anyways. It's gotten better over the years, but that's why I never studied astronomy properly as I'd have to be out in the dark." he explains.

"Is that why the sails glow?" San asks curiously, but without malice in his voice.

Hongjoong studies him, and after determining San is not making fun of him, he chuckles lightly. "Perhaps! Finding a ship with glowing sails was probably a blessing, maybe it was all meant to be…"

He smiles contentedly at the others, before realizing he hasn't made his point yet.

"Ah! So I think we may need to find my former navigator. His presence on the ship was comforting, as I didn't need to navigate the stars in the dark anymore." Hongjoong explains. "I guess you could say with him on board I wasn't afraid of the night anymore because he was in the darkness?" he questions, looking at the other two with a hopeful look on his face.

Both San and Jongho gasp at how perfect that explanation fits the words on the map.

"That's perfect!" San exclaims as he leans forward. "Where do you think we can find him? Your navigator?"

"Oh that should be easy I believe." Hongjoong replies with a grin. He points at the telescope drawn on the map, next to the ship.

"He's in the nearest city."


End file.
